The Opelousas courier., 1887-03-12
Address 10 tIle AgricuItGarists of
the State OfLOaisiama.

The Executive Committee of the Louisiana
State Agricultural Society held Il session in
New Orleans on February 10, and passed the
following resolution:
Resolved, That all papers in the State are
requested to publish the address prepared By
the Committee to the agriculturists of the
State.
A convention of the farmers of the State 81
Louisiana met in January last in Baton Rouge
and formed a State Agricultural Society.
The executive committee of that society
met in the City of New Orleans upou the 18th
instant and appointed the undersigned a com,
nlittee to issue an address to the people OF
the State, setting forth the objects of our or
ganization. and making AN appeal for co
operation.
The object of the State Agricultural Society
is to foster and advance all agricultural inter,
ests, including farming, gardening, stock
raising, diaries, fruit-growing, etc.
When VIC consider how depressed is the
situation of the farmer at present, and bow
rich is our soil and favorable our climaf
certainly seems that our condition is sus
BILE of improvement. Where can this I'M
provelnent come from except from ourselves !
We, therefore, appeal to you tote IL an
effort to improve, by organization, discussion
and study, the fortunes of our State. Ii by
contnlDg ourselves to the staple crops of cot
ton, sugar and rice we have not achieved
prosperity, may not a Investigation of crops
and pursuits, or improved and intensive
methods of cultivation open to us a great flu
ture? Nature has bountifully contributed a
fertile soil and a climate where most of the
agricultural crops and grasses grow in perfec-
ton, and it is certainly within the range of
possibility to utilize them by intelligence,
new methods and the many influences that
result from combined study and organization.
We, therefore, urge upon you in your re-
spective parishes to organize farmers clubs
and associations, as VIZ believe that the meth
DDS that have proved so successful in other
States will benefit US.
Remember that farmers associations
abound in our sister States Just in proportion
to their prosperity. Thus, the richest States
have the most of these associations, and the
poorest have the least, and if they are benefi.
cent to prosperity, what q blessing may they
not become to our poverty?
Yhe plan of our State Agricultural Society
calls upon the people to organize locally, n
when organized these local organizations will
send delegates to a State annual convention,
and thus bone rule and local views and in
terests will attain the fullest development.
This is an earnest attempt to organize the
farmers of the State, and the opportunity is
now offered to you to consult and confer to-
gether, in order that independence and pros
perity may revivify the State.
The next annual State convention of the
State Agricultural Society will meet in
Shreveport on the fourth Wednesday in jan
uary in 1888, and we earnestly hope that
each parish in the State will be represented
there by delegates from agricultural associa-
tions organized within it's limits.
JAMES JEFFRIEs, Rapides;
II. G.. S~TRINGFELLow, Red River;
VIM. ROBSON, Caddo;
JOHN A. WHITE, ST., East Feliciana:
H. c. EMPER, AvoyeIles;
w. C. STUBS, the A. & M. College;
j. l.. BRENT, Ascension;
Committee on Address.